Lecturers set to strike on election day

Lecturers at King’s College have planned strikes for 5 May and election day.

“Over 60 people came to an emergency union meeting last week and voted overwhelmingly to strike,” said Jim Wolfreys, president of the UCU union at King’s.

“We also voted to begin a boycott of exams. This means that students will sit exams but we won’t mark them—and students can’t graduate until the exams are marked.”

Workers also backed the “greylisting” of King’s—an academic boycott.

The planned two-day strike follows a solid one-day strike last month. Students are an important part of the campaign—they have produced green armbands to wear to show their support.

Sara el Sheekh, a humanities student said, “We should support the strikes and the exam boycott—it’s better to graduate a little late than not to graduate at all because our courses have been closed down.

“Lecturers are striking and boycotting exams to stop cuts. We have to stand together and defend education for future generations, not just the rich minority.”

Workers at the University of Sussex are also set to strike on 5 May and those at the University of Westminster and University College London could join them too.

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